Dr. Gizem Kezer, Postdoc at the Molecular Food Chemistry and Food Development section, led by Prof. Dr. Tuba Esatbeyoglu, has been awarded a poster prize at the Scientific Congress of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) on 5 March 2026.
The poster, entitled Cardamom Essential Oil as a Potential Inhibitor of Streptococcus mutans was presented by Dr. Kezer at the congress and received the award in the category Food Sciences. The study investigates the potential inhibitory effect of cardamom essential oil on Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium that plays a major role in the development of dental caries. The research was conducted as a cross‑institutional collaboration between Leibniz University Hannover and the chemical company Symrise AG, which produces cosmetic active ingredients. The study’s authors include Dr Gizem Kezer, Nanki Singh (M. Sc. Molecular Microbiology), and Prof. Dr. Tuba Esatbeyoglu from the Institute of Food and One Health, Prof. Dr. Marcus Horn from the Institute of Microbiology and Dr. Silke Hillebrand from Symrise AG. The manuscript for the recently completed study, provisionally titled In Vitro Inhibition of Streptococcus mutans by Cardamom Essential Oil, is currently under peer review.
The 63rd Scientific Congress of the German Nutrition Society (DGE), held in early March 2026 in Kassel, was devoted to the theme “Nutrition and the Microbiome – A Key to Health” and brought together around 800 scientists.
The DGE poster prizes honour scientific contributions distinguished by their innovative experimental approach, the relevance of their findings, and the quality of their presentation.
